The failures Of An Experimental Cook
by Cella N
Summary: They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Pity Orihime didn't get that memo. ORIHIME. ISHIDA. On favourite foods and life choices.


**Title:** The Failures Of An Experimental Cook  
**Author:** Cella  
**Rating:** PG  
**Fandom:** BLEACH  
**Pairing:** unrequited IchiHime, hints at IchiRuki, and IshiHime  
**Summary:** They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Pity Orihime didn't get that memo. ORIHIME. ISHIDA. On favourite foods and life choices.  
**Dedication:** To my Seren, who pushed me in so deep that I don't ever wanna get out.

**The Failures Of An Experimental Cook**

"So," Orihime said, looking up from her book, "I'm still waiting for your answer."

Ichigo looked up from his own book, and whispered his answer beneath his mouth, so as to not be heard by their English teacher. "Answer to what?"

"If you're going to come over for lunch," Orihime murmured, smiling at Ishida when the boy turned around to glare at them.

"Will you be cooking?" Ichigo asked, sweat already threatening to cover his brow.

"Who else, silly?" Orihime grinned, and gave Ishda a little wave when the boy turned around--again--to glare at them for talking and distracting him.

"Um…I would love to, but I promised Rukia I'd help her with…something," Ichigo finished lamely.

"Well, Rukia-san can come too!" Orihime supplied. Ishida turned around in his seat, ready to shush them, but Orihime spotted him before he could say a word, and added, "And Ishida-kun can come as well!"

Ishida's glasses threatened to fall off his nose, and his mouth was doing weird fish movements. Chad snickered behind his hand, keeping his eyes trained on the book, as to not attract attention.

Too late. "And Chad-kun is also invited! And Tastuki-chan too!"

Chad stopped snickering, and for the first time in his life, well…sort of, felt the beginning of cold sweat covering him.

"What's this about?" Tastuki whispered, unaware of what she'd been dragged into.

"Lunch at Inoue-san's house," Ishida provided dryly, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Oh," Tatsuki dead-panned.

"I have a new recipe you all have to taste!" Orihime explained.

"Oh," Tatsuki repeated, and everyone agreed with her.

(((((((((((((((((&)))))))))))))))))

'Oh' had pretty much summed it up, Rukia decided, half a day later, as she settled herself in front of Orihime's dinner table.

"What are we having?" Rukia asked, weary of the sounds coming from Inoue's kitchen.

"I think it's better not to ask," Tatsuki answered, scratching the table with a short nail. "You just close your eyes and eat it."

"Oh, Lord," Chad muttered under his breath, shifting on his knees to get more comfortable.

"Oi, Ishida," Ichigo drawled, but there was a slight nervousness to his tone.

Ishida looked up from the table, and raised an eyebrow.

"If I die tonight," he said, "you get nothing."

Ishida rolled his eyes, "Just you dying will make me happy enough."

"Jerk," Ichigo muttered, tapping his fingers against the table.

"Am I the only one scared shitless here?" Rukia half-whispered half-squeaked.

"No," came the collective answer from Ichigo, Tatsuki and Chad. Ishida sighed, and rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

He knew why Orihime was doing this. Earlier that day he'd seen her reading a cooking book while looking at Kurosaki-san with longing--or hunger, who knew. He guessed the turn of events wasn't what Inoue-san had expected, she probably would've wanted a lunch with Ichigo alone. But where Ichigo went, Rukia followed with a raised fist. Pity Inoue-san couldn't seem to get over that.

That moment was the moment Orihime chose to poke her head through the kitchen's open door. "Ready for it?" she asked, grinning widely.

"Good Lord, no," Rukia answered through clenched teeth, her lips curved into a beatifically grin.

"I'm gonna die," Ichigo muttered, but grinned at Orihime.

Chad lost ten years of his life. Tatsuki just repeated her practiced mantra: _Close your eyes and bear it, close your eyes and bear it_. Ishida took his glasses off, wiped them clean, and answered, "Ready, Inoue-san."

"Great!" she said, and entered the dining room with the food. Almost everyone closed their eyes--which did not surpass Orihime--, until the food was placed on the table. The girl settled herself at the table, and sighed happily. "Dig in!"

They opened their eyes. Four of them raised an eyebrow. One of them blushed.

"Well?" Orihime asked, looking at Ichigo speculatively. "Wasn't it your favourite food?"

"What…what is it?" Rukia whispered.

"It's Inoue Orihime's special makerel miso homemade stew, with a super secret ingredient!" Orihime exclaimed, looking at Ichigo patiently.

"Um…that's not my favourite food, Orihime-san," Ichigo replied, wincing slightly. It didn't smell that bad, but he feared the super secret ingredient.

"It's…not?" Orihime asked, feeling her spirits dampen. "Then whose…"

Here, Ishida cleared his throat, and blushed. "It's mine," he murmured.

"Oh," Orihime said, tilting her head sideways. "Well, I…" she doubted, looking between Ichigo and Ishida. "I forgot to get drinks," she said, and got up quickly, exiting the room.

"Let me help," Ishida called at her, standing up and joining her in the kitchen.

The four remaining guests shared an uncomfortable silence. There was a pause.

"What is you favourite food, then?" Rukia finally asked.

Ichigo shrugged, "About anything spicy. And…chocolate."

"Ha! I knew you were nothing but a girl underneath," Rukia chortled.

Ichigo glared at her. "Whatever."

(((((((((((((((((&)))))))))))))))))

"Are you feeling better?" Ishida asked, placing another napkin into her hands.

Orihime looked up from her napkin, and smiled. "Yeah, I…that was so embarrassing."

She looked at her hands, and fiddled with the T-shirt he had fixed back in the Soul Society. She sighed, and looked back up at him. "I know they don't like my cooking, but I had tried so hard, thinking he'd like it, and…"

"I like how it smells," Ishida murmured softly. "And I hope you don't feel sorry for cooking my favourite food instead of…"

"NO! No, I'm glad I got one thing right." She smiled, and placed a hand on his cheek. "I've been unfair to you, haven't I, Ishida-kun? I'm stupid like that, you'll have to excuse me."

"For what?" he asked, bewildered.

"For not seeing what I had under my nose all the time," she answered. She placed her head on his chest, and sighed when he hugged her. "I think I'm ready to let go now."

"I'll help you," he whispered into her hair.

Orihime lifted her head to grin at him. "I know."

(((((((((((((((((&)))))))))))))))))

"So, what did you think?" Orihime asked.

"It wasn't bad," Rukia started.

"Needed a bit more salt," Ichigo said.

"Maybe more pepper too," Tatsuki offered.

"But it was tamer that what you usually cook," Rukia finished.

Chad was silent, because he was so full he couldn't speak. But he agreed wholeheartedly.

Under the table, Ishida grabbed Orihime's hand, squeezing it as he added, "I loved it."

Orihime smiled.

:end:


End file.
